

ORDER XLIII. LEGUMINOSJfl. 295 



8. C. Maiulan'dica, (L.) Stem glabrous, or covered with scattered 

 hairs. Leaflets in about 8 pairs, oblong-lanceolate, slightly ciliate, mu- 

 cronate ; gland at the base of the petiole. Flowers in short axillary 

 racemes, numerous, paniculate at the summit of the stem. Legumes 

 curved, linear, pubescent, or glabrous. — Yellow. ©. June — August. 

 On the banks of streams. 3 — 4 feet. 



4. C. Cham^ecrw'ta, (L.) Stem erect, or somewhat decumbent, with 

 divaricate, hirsute, and scabrous branches. Leaflets in 10 — 15 pairs, 

 glabrous, oblique, oval, narrow, mucronate, glaucous beneath, serrulate; 

 petiole hirsute, with a cup-like gland near the base of the lowest pair 

 of leaflets. Flowers in supra-axillary fascicles. Stamens all fertile, a 

 part of* the petals spotted at the base, 4 of the anthers yellow, 6 pur- 

 ple. Legumes villous, linear. The C. fasciculata is considered only a 

 variety of this ; differing from it in being nearly glabrous, anthers all 

 yellow, petals not spotted at the base. — Yellow. %. Aug. — Sept. 

 Common. 1 — 2 feet. 



5. C. nict:tans', (L.) Stem erect or procumbent, pubescent when 

 young, glabrous when old. Leaflets in 10 — 15 pairs, linear, mucronate, 

 gibbous at the base; gland below the base of the leaflets. Floxoers in 

 supra-axillary fascicles, small ; petals unequal ; stamens 5 ; anthers 

 purple. Legumes somewhat hairy, oblong, compressed. — Yellow. %. 

 Aug. — Oct. Common. 1 — 2 feet. 



6. C. as'pera, (Ell.) Stem hirsute, with spreading hairs, with erect 

 branches. Leaflets numerous, in 10 — 15 pairs, linear-lanceolate, ciliate, 

 gland near the base of the lowest pair of leaflets. Flowers on supra- 

 axillary peduncles, generally 3 on each peduncle; stamens 7 — 9, un- 

 equal. Legume compressed, obtuse, mucronate, hirsute. — Yellow. 0. 

 July — Sept. Common in the low country. 1 — 3 feet. 



The C. 3farilanrfica, a plant very common throughout the Southern States, and 

 known by the name of American Senna, possesses the properties of the imported Sen- 

 na, which is from plants indigenous to Egypt and Arabia, and is the product of several 

 species of Cassia. It is a mild cathartic, Owing this effect to a substance obtained by 

 the analysis of Lassaigne, and called Cathartin. 



Genus XLViL— GLEDIT'SCHIA. L. 20—6. 

 (In honor of Gleditsch.) 



Flowers dioecious or polygamous. Calyx consisting of 3 — 5 

 — 8 sepals, united at the base. Petals equal in number to the sep- 

 als, or fewer. Stamens generally equal the sepals, occasionally 

 fewer by abortion. Stigma pubescent. Legume compressed, 

 stipitate. Seeds oval, testa crustaceous. Trees with pinnate 

 leaves, and generally spiny branches. 



1. G. triacan'thos, (L.) A large tree, wood hard, generally bearing 

 compound spines. Leaves pinnate ; leaflets lanceolate-oblong, glabrous, 

 slightly crenulate near the summit. Flowers in axillary racemes. Le- 

 gumes falcate, 12 — 14 inches long, slightly twisted, mucronate, many- 

 seeded ; the spaces between the cells of the seed filled with a sweet 

 pulp. — Greenish. ^ . May. In rich soils. 50 — 60 feet. 



Honey Locust. Sweet Locust. 



2. G. monosper'ma, (Walt ) A tree armed on the trunk and branches 

 with spines. Leaves equally and compoundly pinnate ; leaflets numer- 



